The exhibition, inaugurated on October 2nd, is a collaboration between the National Museum Machado de Castro (MNMC), the MMSR, and the National Arts Plan, in coordination with the Municipality of Lousã. The aim is to promote the legacy of Manuel Filipe (1908-2002), a pioneer of neorealism in Portugal, bringing his art closer to local communities.
The nine works loaned by the MMSR were included in this tour after the exhibition was shown in Figueira da Foz, between February and April 2026. The presentation in Lousã continues a project initiated in 2024, which has already visited Mira, Ansião, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Mealhada, and Figueira da Foz.
Scientifically curated by Fernanda Alves and Pedro Ferrão from the MNMC, the exhibition explores different periods of Manuel Filipe's artistic production, highlighting the evolution of his pictorial language and his significance in Portuguese neorealism.
This traveling exhibition also serves to showcase and promote the artistic heritage preserved by the Municipal Museum Santos Rocha, by lending works from its collection for a national project aimed at engaging diverse audiences.
After its stop in Lousã, «Manuel Filipe: from dark work to colors of freedom» will proceed to the municipalities of Anadia and Alvaiázere, continuing a project that seeks to bring Manuel Filipe's work to different territories and contribute to the recognition of a key figure in 20th-century Portuguese art.
